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Dunchurch (St. Peter)

DUNCHURCH (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Rugby, Rugby division of the hundred of Knightlow, N. division of the county of Warwick, 15 miles (E. N. E.) from Warwick; containing, with the township of Thurlaston, 1390 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on the east by a portion of Northamptonshire, and situated on the London and Birmingham road; and comprises by admeasurement 4747 acres, of which a considerable part is the property of Lord J. Scott, brother to the Duke of Buccleuch. The village contains some good inns and several respectable houses, presenting the appearance of a small market-town; at its northern extremity is an obelisk, where stood an ancient cross. Fairs for cattle have been established on the second Mondays in January and March, the 29th of June, the third Monday in August, the 15th of September, and the third Monday in November. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £14. 1. 10½.; patron, the Bishop of Lichfield; impropriator, Lord J. Scott: the great tithes have been commuted for £250, and the vicarial for £220; the glebe contains about 42 acres, with an excellent glebe-house, enlarged and repaired at a considerable cost by the incumbent, the Rev. J. Sandford. The church is a handsome and curious edifice, with a square embattled tower: the tower is in the later English style, much enriched; the western porch has a fine Norman arch, embellished with heads and zig-zag mouldings. The chancel is of early English architecture, with some windows in the decorated style; the nave is also decorated, and the doorways of the aisles are ornamented with remarkably rich mouldings. The edifice has been completely restored at an expense of £2000, raised by subscription, towards which Lord J. Scott contributed upwards of £600. The Baptists have a place of worship. Here is a free grammar school, founded in 1707, and endowed by a bequest from Francis Boughton, of 27 acres of land and a house for the master, who must be a clergyman; the same benefactor left 24 acres of land, directing the produce to be applied in apprenticing boys. There is also a school in union with the National Society. In 1695, Thomas Newcombe, printer to Charles II., James II., and William III., bequeathed property for erecting and endowing six almshouses, which were rebuilt in 1818. Dunchurch is celebrated as the place of rendezvous for those concerned with Guy Fawkes, and where Digby first received intelligence of the discovery of the plot.

Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.

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